It is beginning to look like unofficial hot dog day here at Slashfood, though I'd like to clarify that this recipe calls for 100% all-beef wieners rather than some of the other available alternatives. Ugh.

Anyhoo...

For those of you gearing up for some grilling this weekend, you may want to check out Bobby Flay's "Texas Dog" - a simple recipe which includes a hot dog smothered in his special homemade BBQ sauce, then topped with freshly-made coleslaw and quartered dill pickles. This is perfect for backyard "plate-less" eating since the usual side dishes are already on the bun.

Granted, this recipe may not win an award for being the fanciest dish or require a lot of skill to prepare, because let's be honest, at the end of the day it is still just a hot dog, but it tastes delicious and everything can be prepared beforehand. If you are having company over for a backyard barbecue, really, isn't that the point? I've included a copy of the recipe and instructions after the jump.

Bobby Flay's Texas Dogs

(Recipe and Photo via The Food Network)

BBQ Sauce
2 tablespoons canola oil
1 large Spanish onion, coarsely chopped
5 cloves garlic, coarsely chopped
3 cups canned plum tomatoes and juices, pureed
1 cup water
1/4 cup ketchup
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce
3 tablespoons Dijon mustard
3 tablespoons dark brown sugar
2 tablespoon honey
1/4 cup molasses
3 tablespoons ancho chili powder
3 tablespoons pasilla chili powder
2 to 4 canned chipotle chiles in adobo, pureed, added to taste
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Heat the oil over medium-high heat in a heavy-bottomed medium saucepan. Add the onions and cook until soft, 3 to 4 minutes. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add the tomatoes and water, bring to a boil and simmer for 10 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients and simmer for an additional 30 to 40 minutes until thickened, stirring occasionally.

Transfer the mixture to a food processor and puree until smooth, season with salt and pepper, to taste. Pour into a bowl and allow to cool at room temperature. Sauce will keep for 1 week in the refrigerator stored in a tightly sealed container.

Homemade Coleslaw
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/2 small white onion, grated
2 tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon celery salt
3 tablespoons apple-cider vinegar
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 head cabbage, cored, finely shredded
1 large carrot, finely shredded
Sour dill pickles (not half sour), for serving

Whisk together the mayonnaise, onion, sugar, celery salt, vinegar and salt and pepper in a large bowl. Add the cabbage and carrot and stir to combine, season with more salt and pepper, if needed. Let sit at least 15 minutes before serving.

Assembly
Grill hot dogs until golden brown on all sides, remove and set aside. Grill cut side of hot dog buns until lightly golden. To assemble, brush hot dogs with BBQ sauce, add to bun, and top with coleslaw and dill pickles.